Parting Ways
by athenanoctea
Summary: Helo didn’t want to promise he’d leave her behind.


**Title: **Parting Ways

**Author**: carpenyx

**Date**: 5/18/08

**Rating**: PG

**Genre**: Romance, Missing Scene, Drama

**Characters**: Athena/Helo

**Spoilers**: up to 4x06 "Faith"

**Summary**: Helo didn't want to promise he'd leave her behind.

**Beta**: nebakanezer

**A/N**: This is an "extended" scene in the episode "Faith" when Sharon and Helo are saying goodbye before she heads out with the Raptor crew to the basestar.

**Parting Ways**

Helo leaned against the entrance to the docking bay watching Sharon as she loaded packs into the Raptor. It didn't matter he realized; the disagreements, arguments, and even those cooling off periods that could last through the night didn't matter. When he looked at her, _really looked at her_, he was overcome by the unconditional love he felt for her. In that moment while watching her, he realized just how much he treasured/cherishing his wife. He spoke her name aloud without even meaning to, "Sharon."

When Sharon saw him watching her, she put down the pack and walked up to him. Standing a few inches from Helo, a smile brightened her face she spoke, "Hey you."

They didn't always agree, especially when it came to Starbuck. Sharon understood the relationship between Karl and Kara, and she even respected it. There were times though when the line was awfully thin when it came to Helo's unwavering faith in Starbuck. In the end, it didn't matter. These moments, with him, did. To look into his eyes, made her heart race, even after all of these years.

"Do me a favor?" Helo clasped her hands into his own, their fingers entwining.

"Sure," she said with an agreeing nod.

"Promise me you'll be careful." Helo pulled her close, wrapping his arms around the small of her back, and squeezing her firmly in an embrace.

Sharon let out a soft sigh as she melted into his comforting hold, her arms slipping around him. "I promise. Will you do me a favor?"

"What's that?" he asked.

"If we're late, even by a few-" she began.

Helo hastily cut her off, "Don't even say it."

Sharon frowned a little, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. "You better get your ass back to the rendezvous location, to Galactica when that clock runs out," she finished, despite his protest.

She knew he'd stay down to the wire, he would be stubborn but there was more at stake then merely their lives; their daughter.

"_Sharon?" Helo pulled the hatch open__ed__ and stepped inside. Sharon was peacefully snoozing and it almost stung to wake them from their restful sleep. He knelt down in front of them, placing a soft kiss on each of their foreheads. _

_Sharon's eyes fluttered opened and a smile__d__ crossed her tired features. "Helo," she whispered sleepily. _

"_Hey," he said._

"_When did you get home?" She kept her voice as low as possible to avoid waking the little one in her arms._

"_Just a few minutes ago." Helo rose and slipped his arms under Hera's small body very carefully. "Let me get her to bed," he told Sharon. He lifted his daughter up, making sure not to wake her and carried her to the bed, tucking her in._

_Sharon swung her legs over the couch and rubbed her eyes. She stretched out her arms over her head and let out a slight yawn. _

_Once Hera was settled into her bad, Helo joined Sharon on the couch. "We need to talk about something," he began carefully._

_Sharon tilted her head, looking at him curiously. "What's going on?"_

"_The Admiral has a request." It wasn't the right word and he knew it._

"_What sort of request?" she inquired warily. _

_Helo let out a barely audible sigh. "The Admiral would like us to join Kara, on a mission to find the path to Earth."_

"_Helo… I don't know." Sharon looked at him._

"_It was more of an order," he clarified._

"_An order? I can't leave Hera… no." Sharon shook her head._

"_She'd be looked after, I'll make sure she is taken care of. We need you, Sharon. The Admiral is leaving the decision up to you but I still have to accompany Kara." _

"_I can't leave her behind. Not after everything that's happened. I can't do it, Helo." Sharon frowned._

_Helo put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "I know. I don't necessarily want to leave her behind either but this could be our only chance at finding the path. Kara needs all the help she can get and you, you could make this go a lot easier." _

_Sharon sighed. "Who would watch over her? I…" She shook her head, not even sure why she was considering the notion of leaving her daughter behind._

"_We don't have a lot of time to think this through. We need to leave tonight." Helo hugged her close._

"_Tonight… _tonight_?" Sharon looked at him. "How can you ask me to do this?"_

"_I wouldn't ask if I didn't think she'd be all right. I wouldn't ask you to leave her if I didn't believe _we_ needed to do this, Sharon."_

It broke Sharon's heart every second that she was away. It was never an easy decision and even now she questioned her choice to leave Hera behind. The only justification she'd been satisfied with was the chance to give Hera the life she deserved, even if it meant going against every fear… every tear of leaving her back on the Galactica.

"Promise?" she pressed.

Helo didn't want to promise he'd leave her behind. How could he leave his daughter than his wife? That wasn't a choice he made easily and this was no different. He'd push to the very last possible moment if he had to. He wasn't going to return to Galactica, to their daughter without Sharon by his side if he could help it. Sometimes being an officer was a much harder task than one would ever imagine.

"I… promise."

He pulled her closer, as close as possible, and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss between them ignited the same fiery passion that existed since the beginning.

Sharon fell into the warmth of his kiss.

They both pulled apart slowly and quietly looked at each other. Helo finally whispered, "Don't break the Raptor, Lieutenant."

"Frak you, XO," she hissed with a smirk.

Helo grinned and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before they parted ways.


End file.
